|
 
|
The
Foster Doll Project
“Behind the Eyes of Foster Dolls”
Foster and adoptive
parents are collecting hundreds of used and abused dolls for use in a
legislative awareness campaign called “Behind the Eyes of Foster
Dolls”. On Tuesday, January 27, 2009, volunteers from a coalition of foster care and adoption
organizations throughout Texas will meet at the State Capitol pushing
baby strollers and pulling wagons to distribute dolls to Texas
legislators and the Governor. Each participating policy-maker will have
the opportunity to become a doll’s de facto foster parent for the
upcoming 12-week period.
Dianna Nelson-Diaz, president of Foster Parents in Action and Chair for
the campaign says, “The Foster Doll Project is such an exciting and fun
idea to educate our legislators as well as establish a positive
relationship with them! We have parents throughout the state ready to
help their legislators understand the needs of our children. Our hope
is that policy-makers come to know the day-to-day struggles of foster
children, mental anguish of biological parents, and the challenges in
parenting these children, and the realities of children with special
needs who find their forever family through adoption.
Foster Parents in Action (FPIA) and possibly the North American Council
on Adoptable Children (NACAC) (I am in contact with a representative,
Bruce ) and Texas Foster Family Association (I present to them Oct. 2 in
San Antonio) will be sending preliminary letters to each of the
legislators beginning Tuesday,
January 6, 2009. These letters will be mailed or delivered
every Tuesday for approximately 12 weeks.
1st Letter: This letter will advise the Legislator
that he/she has been recommended as a prospective Texas Foster Parent in
Action Honorary Foster Parent; introduce the foster doll project;
explain the approval process and a possible placement where their tenure
will not be a full-time responsibility, but a make-believe experience.
2nd letter: This letter will advise them they have
been approved as Honorary Foster Parents and enclosed will be their
Honorary Foster Parent Approval Form and Rights, Responsibilities and
Rewards of Fostering.
3rd 1etter: This letter will give each Legislator the
date of possible placement. As Honorary Foster Parent’s they will be
asked to work with their “foster doll child” and help “fix” their foster
doll child to prepare him/her for the future of permanency in adoption,
reunification or independent living. The dolls have no monetary value
and are not gifts to the Legislators. In fact, the Legislator may
claim any expense incurred in fixing the doll as a charitable
contribution, as the dolls in their possession will be given to foster
children across the state at the end of the Project.
4th – 12th letters: Letters will cover foster
care issues such as Partnership, Mail, phone and/or Visitations,
Individualized Service Plans, Behavior Management, Board Payment Scale,
Close Proximity/Placing Siblings Together, Allegations, Minimum
Standards, Types of foster parenting (Traditional, Therapeutic,
Maternity, Medically Fragile, Special Needs, Multi-needs, Enhanced,
etc.), Life Books, confidentiality, transportation reimbursement, gas
heaters, safety, and medication documentation. Each letter will have one
topic, one page and to the point. (Of course all of the above will not
be covered.) All Legislators (whether they accept a placement or not)
will receive the same letters weekly in order to keep everyone informed
of the foster care system.
Legislators and the Governor will be invited to a “Special Placement
Breakfast” on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 being served at The Capitol
Grill after the press conference. Following the placements, breakfast
will be served while we present a Foster Care Awareness Program.
Upon placement, the foster doll child will be delivered with name, short
history, strengths, needs and permanency plan. We will ask each
Legislator if he/she will accept the placement. If yes, we will
appropriately make the placement. If no, we will thank the Legislator
and tell him/her that we will do our best to find a placement for the
foster doll child before bedtime. We will also ask if there is another
date that might be more convenient for them to accept a placement and
leave a Foster Doll Project card so they can call if they have questions
about their Honorary Foster Parent Approval or decide to accept a
placement at a later date. We will NOT push the issue.
Telephone calls will be made to each Legislator during the project by a
foster parent (preferably from their district) to “check on” the foster
doll child, answer questions, and listen to issues, concerns and
accomplishments.
On April 21, 2009 a “Wrap up” rally will be held on the South
Steps of the Capitol. The Foster Doll Project coalition will remove
the foster doll child from the Legislator. At this time, we will take a
picture of the Legislator and foster doll child for the Life Book. We
will present the Legislator with an Honorary Foster Parent Certificate
and a family picture thanking them for their participation.
Finally, the goals of the “Behind the Eyes of Foster Dolls”:
1. To increase Legislator awareness of the responsibilities,
demands, challenges and expectation of foster parents, social workers
and of private placement agencies.
2. To increase public awareness of the responsibilities, the
demands, challenges, and expectation of foster parents through a
surrogate experience.
3. To increase media awareness and involvement in all foster
care issues and to enlighten the general public of the complexities of
foster care including the responsibilities, demands, challenges and the
expectations placed upon the Foster Parents and Social Workers.
4. To increase the Legislators’ and the news media understanding
of foster care policy and rationale as related to the best interest of
children and families.
5. To encourage legislative and fiscal support of all efforts to
meet children’s needs and to support professionals and paraprofessionals
as they serve children.
6. The foster dolls will be displayed at the Austin and Dallas
Malls with the Legislator’s name displayed in front of the respective
doll and his/her voting record in reference to foster care issues. The
foster dolls will then be distributed to emergency shelters and children
presently in the foster system.
7. We are seeking partnership with other organizations to help
fund and sponsor the “Behind the Eyes of Foster Dolls” that have a
common goal with Foster Parents in Action. That goal being the abused
and neglected children of Texas! We need lots of volunteers and hope
you will see the benefits of coming along our side in this exciting
project.
I look forward to receiving your questions or comments. Please contact
me at your earliest convenience at the phone numbers or email address
listed below.
For more information, contact: Dianna Nelson-Diaz, Chair, at
972-924-4857, Cell 972-529-8383 or
FosterDollProject@yahoo.com
Please contact
Dianna @
diannanelsonmolix@msn.com
for more
information.
Please check often
for updates!!!
|
|
